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7/11/25, 1:53 PM Insights: What the Middle East can learn about ‘smart’ spaces from the French City of Pau - Construction Week Online
mind can we maximise their value, optimise how we use our resources and ensure that our
built environment best serves the communities that live in it.

One area in which this is particularly pertinent is with so-called ‘smart’ or ‘high-tech’ cities.
Today, these broadly fall into two groups. The first comprises existing cities seeking to re-
badge themselves by capturing and acting on huge amounts of data (traffic flow, energy
consumption, etc). The second are those designed to be ‘smart from the start’ by adopting an
approach, from the off, of using data to improve the efficiency and sustainability of city
operations and create appealing and enjoyable places to live and work.

Typically, these cities will: Embrace digitalisation by using technology and data-driven
insights, minimise energy consumption through well-designed, efficient infrastructure and
promote efficient urban mobility through using real-time data analytics to smooth the flow of
traffic and through modern transit systems.

The ‘smart from the start’ concept has gained significant traction in the Middle East, which is
globally known for its ambitious development projects and futuristic cities vision. Mega
projects such as the flagship NEOM, JCDC, Qiddiya City and Diriyah Gate, some planned,
some underway, are promising to transform what constitutes city living and what our cities
look like.

The challenges around design and delivery for programs of this size and scale are significant.
But what about the challenge of making sure that this infrastructure remains fit for purpose
and delivers as intended 40 or even 50+ years from now. How do we maintain it effectively?
How do we achieve maximum ‘whole life’ value from it? And how do we ensure the ‘liveability’
of the infrastructure for decades to come – and not simply create shiny tech centres which fail
to meet their objectives.

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